Like this:

I see being able to run 26.2 miles, 42.2km as a blessing, having the health and fitness to be able to complete a race this distance i am very grateful for.

It is only just beginning to sink in what i achieved 2 weeks ago today.

On the 5th November, 2017 i ran the 5 Boroughs of New York City and completed the TCS New York City Marathon in a time of 3:20:56.

This was only my third marathon, having previously ran Brighton and Frankfurt, so i still regard myself as a novice runner and with a current age of 56, this means that time qualifies me for next years NYC Marathon again and also Boston 2019.

For those who have been following my YouTube channel and other Social Media @RunGuruRun will know that 4 weeks before the NYC Marathon i had to pull up from my long run after only 40 minutes with a lot of pain in one leg. I thought i could just rest and get back to training, but after 5 minutes of my training run on the following Tuesday i had to stop as i was in a lot of pain.

After seeing a physio and getting some treatment, i had to withdraw from the Birmingham Half Marathon and focus on rehab exercises.

With 2 weeks before the race i then got back to some running, but it was still painful and it was a race against time to get fit enough to run the marathon. the week before the race, i managed a 1 hour run and continued everyday with exercises to help get me fit.

When race day arrived, all i can say is that it was like a dream. I had seen a number of raceday VLOGs and it felt surreal racing around New York. The crowds were amazing and when i got to the finish line, it felt incredible.

Below is my very own New York City Marathon race day VLOG. I hope you enjoy and share.

If you ever get the opportunity to race the New York City Marathon, do it!